Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher had a very public feud earlier this summer that appeared to leave quite a bit of bad blood between the two former coaching colleagues.
While at an Alabama booster’s dinner, Saban accused Fisher and the Aggies of using NIL collectives to essentially buy commitments from recruits, leading to Texas A&M landing the No. 1 overall recruiting class in the 247Sports 2022 recruiting class team rankings.
Naturally, Fisher did not take too kindly to the comments, revealing that Saban attempted to call him shortly after the comments went public, but that he isn’t going to take the call and that “we’re done.”
The first time they interacted following the comments, Saban treated Fisher “like a fly on your potato salad,” according to Paul Finebaum. But at his SEC Media Days, Saban painted a different view of their relationship, saying he has no problems with Fisher.
“I have no issues or problems with Jimbo,” Saban said via AL.com. “He’s done a great job at A&M. He did a great job for us [at LSU]. I always take criticisms or whatever in a positive way to self-assess me personally in terms of maybe there is something I can do better. So any comments that anybody makes — you or any coach — I always take into consideration.”
Alabama and Texas A&M will meet on the field on Oct. 8, pitting Saban against Fisher, but Saban downplayed the impact the feud will have on the game.
“I think the game is about the players.”
Nick Saban discusses Jimbo Fisher and the Oct. 8 game vs. Texas A&M pic.twitter.com/IAFtcsHxBE
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) July 19, 2022
“I think the game is about the players. Jimbo and I … I wish you had [heard] some of the arguments we had in the staff room when we worked together, alright?” Saban joked. “This one happened to be public. The way I look at it is when people make comments about Nick Saban, I listen. I try to learn. I try to make improvements in my own self by self-assessing in terms of, ‘What can I do to get better?’”
Fisher wasn’t the only coach Saban attacked in his May comments – the Alabama head coach also took shots at Deion Sanders and Jackson State, but the two have since made amends.
[AL.com]
